Adam, but to the body of the believer who shares the humiliation of his Lord (2: 8 and

4: 12 "abase"). Speaking personally, we feel that the "out resurrection", "the prize of

the high calling", and the "body of glory" are all parts of one line of teaching, just as the

"fellowship of His sufferings", "the loss of all things", and "the body of humiliation"

are also phases and aspects of the condition that is necessary to attain to these glories.

The apostle had this well before him in Phil. 1: 20, 21, for he says in immediate

connection with the words:--

The apostle at the cost of the loss of all things sought to have Christ as his gain (3: 8).

Here he tells us that while life is granted to him, Christ shall be magnified in his body, the

body of humiliation, and when it shall please his Master to allow him to suffer death for

His sake, Christ shall make that death turn out to his gain, the battered and scarred body

of His faithful servant shall be conformed to the likeness of His body of glory.

Many times it may be true of us that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". For

the believer to have reached the position of being able to "glorify God in his body" as

well as in his spirit, indicates that he has made a step forward in the development of the

teaching of the mystery. When we reach this stage the exhortation, "be anxious for

nothing", will not seem so far above our condition as sometimes it may do now.

To understand the reason for the apostle's determination to know nothing among the

Corinthians, but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, one must go back to the first chapter,

begin at verse 10, and read through to the second chapter.

Divisions and contentions marred the witness of the church at Corinth; they exhibited

a sectarian spirit; even Paul, however he might have detested it, could not prevent some

from saying, "I am of Paul", yet it is very probable he had to bear the blame of some for

seeking to lead away disciples after himself: the Corinthians could not be spoken to as

unto spiritual, but as unto carnal; they were babes, they walked as men. While it was true

that they were on the one foundation, the Lord Himself, the apostle entertains great fears

regarding the structure they were raising. There was a glorying in men, and in a worldly

wisdom, which spoke ill for them. In direct contrast to the wisdom of the Greek, and the

religion of the Jew, the apostle declared, "We preach Christ crucified", saying that "the

preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness". He concludes chapter 1: with

the words, "That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord",

and continues in chapter 2: 1, "And I brethren, when I came to you", indicating that his